Orangutans – Satans; Sepilok, Sandakan – Borneo

I'd love to write about the orangutans, but unfortunately, I can't. As a volunteer, I agreed to follow certain rules. One of them was not to publish or share details about the orangutans or my work. I also couldn't take photos at work. On my days off, I could visit them with other tourists and take photos from the viewing platform. I could also talk about them and their behavior I observed. It's always something.

Let me start by explaining what Sepilok actually is. It's primarily a place for orangutan orphans who need to be taught how to climb trees, what to eat, how to forage, and how to live in the jungle. The center has several levels. It's almost like a human school.

First, we have a nursery for baby orangutans. They're like human babies, only cuter. They also cry, need love, and don't know how to behave in trees. The next step is preschool, for slightly larger animals. There's no set age for entry; it depends on the orangutan's predispositions and how well it handles. In preschool, they already have contact with larger orangutans, so the first day can be quite traumatic. Preschoolers have more freedom and can venture into the jungle and often visit a platform where semi-rehabilitated orangutans are fed. This is where tourists can observe them.

We had 3 babies in the nursery: Archie, Ospi i Coco, one half-baby, 2 years old Sepiloka, and 4 kids: Beryllium, Gomana, Peanut, Bidu Bidu. My favorite was Beryl, quite large, mischievous, and very intelligent. I know she's already been promoted and is now in preschool. Even when I was there, I had a feeling she wouldn't last long. She made nests very well, which means she has the makings of a good mother and won't be left homeless in the jungle.

In kindergarten we had an unbearable Chiquita. Idolized by everyone, with a bushy hairdo, she could be a real pain in the ass. Try catching a fleeing orangutan. Sometimes the tourists had a field day, especially when the culprit ran away and I landed face down in the mud. My favorite is called Gelison, He's apparently quite small for his age, all due to his laziness and underdeveloped muscles. Indeed, he was quite lazy. One of my tasks was to make sure they played in trees, on ropes, or on platforms, not on the ground. For two reasons: first, they're orangutans, and trees are their natural habitat; second, the ground, especially after rain, is full of insects, often invisible to the naked eye, that can attack them. Gelison also had a tendency to run away. He loved to run to the roof and put on a show for the tourists as the lazy volunteers tried to drag the clever one off the roof. Cinta i Wulan, They're very similar, quite large, and intelligent. Their program should be over soon, and they'll be able to live in the jungle. Cinta actually already lived there, but unfortunately, she fell out of a tree and broke her arm. They suspect an older individual scared her, but what a smart creature! She came to the clinic where the doctor works and showed signs of pain. The arm has healed, but the poor thing was slightly traumatized, so she had to return to the center for a while. Wulan, on the other hand, is very independent and has a temper. She's a good orangutan, but if she doesn't want something, she doesn't, period. And if you disagree, she'll bite. 🙂 She's supposedly serious, but she can be a real pushy person, for example, she likes to rob tourists. There's a clear sign at the entrance: no handbags, backpacks, glasses, or loose items. You're also not allowed to approach the animals, even if they show signs of wanting to. And then there was the guy who lost a very expensive camera. He wanted to take a cool close-up photo, and was left with the memory of the camera. Another time, someone had to say goodbye to a hat. Wulan not only whistled it away, but also put it on herself. Kalabat, in short Kala, is Mr. Orangutan, friendly, easygoing, but like everyone else, he can have his moods. Shortly before my departure, he arrived at the center Itinban, a several-year-old orangutan who previously lived in Kota Kinabalu. I immediately took a liking to him—calm, lovable, with a delightfully droopy lip. I'd heard rumors that the unfortunate fellow had lost his teeth and had a human dentist put in false ones. Since he wasn't the size of an orangutan, he was given smaller ones, so his teeth are too loose.

I must also mention a few other regulars. The center isn't in the jungle and doesn't have any nets or anything like that. The orangutans have freedom of movement; some go deeper into the jungle, others prefer to stay near their former home for a while longer. They also come for the free food. Kacy It's a bright orange ball, looks like a gnome, has short legs and a belly like it swallowed a medicine ball. So cute, I was even more surprised when one employee called her a nasty bitch… I couldn't believe it until I had to go up to the platform to pull out naughty Chiquita. Having learned from experience to check who's sitting on the platform first, I saw it was "clean." Kacy was there, but top-notch. Well, she's supposed to be a lazy animal, but as soon as I bent down, she decided to get up and smack me in the head. 🙂 But I still adore her. Dew, she's a little thief, even when she walks she has thieving written all over her face, she keeps glancing back every now and then to see if anyone has noticed her. Junkie i Ringo, large orangutans, but very calm, it's hard to tell them apart, almost like twin brothers. Poogel It's a fairly large orangutan, but very friendly and even-tempered. It never attacks anyone or annoys other orangutans, only occasionally trying to steal something. It often appears near the viewing platform, and can sometimes be spotted on the path leading to the kindergarten. At first glance, Ceria He's very similar to Poogl, but their personalities are completely different. Ceria is the devil incarnate. Whenever he appears near the viewing platform, the staff have to be on their toes. Even in the photos, you can see the whore in his eyes. I wonder if you can guess which one is Ceria? Lumiut She used to be Kacy's friend, but they had a fight and the friendship didn't last. They actually got along well in terms of personalities. Lumiut can also be mean, she also wanted to hit me in the head for fun. Once she grabbed my arms and legs. I wish you good luck getting out of that hug :) She was also Clenen with a child – Awantan. I left it for the end Selamat, some call him Gollum or Sméagol. Bida went bald, supposedly from stress, experienced two heartbreaks, his first partner died, and his second left him :(. Fortunately, Selamat didn't know he looked different and didn't seem to have any complexes. Apart from the lack of orange hair, he was quite healthy. I recently saw new photos from the center; it looks like Selamat is getting his hair back! I haven't exhausted the entire list of orangutans, but I've included a few of the ones closest to my heart.